Why Is Modigliani Catnip for Forgers? The Fakes (and Feuds) Behind One of the Art Market’s Most Dangerous Artists: An exhibition of work by Amedeo Modigliani in Genoa ended dramatically last month, when 21 paintings—around a third of the works in the show—were seized from the Palazzo Ducale by Italian police on suspicion they were fake.

A Haunting Sketch Discovered in a London Antiques Shop Is Actually a Lost Giacometti: Two drawings found buried beneath papers, furniture, and frames in a London antiques shop have been confirmed as genuine works by Alberto Giacometti. The works, which had been presumed lost, were located in the inventory of the late antiques dealer Eila Grahame last year. They were officially authenticated earlier this summer. Now, the two-sided pencil sketch on paper (referred to as two works) is headed to the auction block.

Nazi-looted books found in German libraries: The Lost Art Foundation has organized a program called “Initial Check” in order to enable the search for stolen books in smaller German libraries: The program has tasked three experienced provenance researchers to scour libraries in Saxony-Anhalt, and look for suspicious items. Their aim is to find out whether such inventory items are in fact looted goods.

80 Years After Hitler’s ‘Degenerate Art’ Show, Two German Museums Confront Its Dark Legacy: The infamous exhibition marked the beginning of Third Reich’s mass censorship of Modernist art. In Berlin, a new Museum of 20th Century Art will feature a permanent exhibition dedicated to the purge. And to mark the 80th anniversary of the “Degenerate Art” exhibition, two notable German museums mount special exhibitions to commemorate the history of the show and the Modernist treasures that were lost.

Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiques Unit heading for closure: Scotland Yard looks set to close its Art and Antiques Unit, according to a former head. Its three detectives have been reassigned to help the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire, in west London, which killed more than 80 people on 14 June.

Sotheby’s second-quarter income down 14%, but revenue is up as auction house invests in digital: Sotheby’s made a clear commitment to the increased use of technology and digital marketing in its second quarter results call in August, but such innovations come at a cost. Tad Smith, the company’s chief executive, said that Sotheby’s has “been adding staff who are skilled specialists, experts in needed technologies, strong salespeople, and excellent digital marketers”, perhaps reflected in a $12m rise in salaries from the same period last year.

Stolen de Kooning Resurfaces More Than 30 Years Later: They knew it was a cool painting. But Buck Burns and David Van Auker hadn’t thought it a masterpiece until visitors to their New Mexico furniture and antiques shop began asking about the work that they had bought as part of an estate.

Dealers arrested in Jerusalem over antiquities imported to US: Five antiquities dealers were arrested by Israeli police in Jerusalem last week in connection with items that were illegally imported into the US by the arts-and-crafts retailer Hobby Lobby.

One of Knoedler’s Rothkos Is Heading to a Museum—for a Forgery Exhibition: An artifact from one of the most notorious art forgery cases in recent years is going on public view this summer. A fake Mark Rothko sold by New York’s now-defunct Knoedler Gallery is among the counterfeit artworks in “Treasures on Trial,” an exhibition at Delaware’s Winterthur Museum.

Air Travel Is Rough, Even for Art: Christie’s Sues Delta Over ‘Damaged’ Gerhard Richter Painting: Insurer Zurich American is suing the airline to the tune of $2.6 million on behalf of Christie’s for damage to a painting by Gerhard Richter, one of the most expensive living artists in the world.

Charlottesville riot hastens removal of Confederate monuments throughout the US: A violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on 12 August, which started around the planned removal of a statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the city, has intensified debates over what to do with Confederate monuments—and what they stand for. Are these monuments symbols of heritage or hatred? Should they be kept as historical reminders, or moved to museums? Should they be dismantled or destroyed?

Islamic extremist liable for €2.7m in damages for destroying Timbuktu shrine: The International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled on 17 August, that an Islamic extremist caused €2.7m in damages when he destroyed a shrine in Timbuktu, Mali, in 2012. This is the first time that the ICC has made a ruling solely on cultural destruction, setting an important precedent.

The Once-Hot Chinese Art Market Is Struggling to Reignite, According to a New Report: The market for Chinese art—both within and outside of China—continues to struggle after peaking in 2011, according to a new study by artnet and the China Association of Auctioneers (CAA).

China Guardian and Sotheby’s going head to head in Hong Kong this autumn, as Chinese auction house expands in city: China Guardian and Sotheby’s going head to head in Hong Kong this autumn, as Chinese auction house expands in city.

Latin American galleries launch a cooperative model in Los Angeles: Ruberta, a new collaborative exhibition space in Glendale, California, brings five Latin American galleries to Los Angeles for a year-long residence. At a time when cooperation often seems the only way to survive, it might not be long until we see the Ruberta model popping up in other art capitals.

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